Envelop.



No. 705,036. Patented July 22, I902.

c. E. GATHER & L. H. BUCKLEY.

' ENVELOP.

Application mu June a, 1901.

(No Model.)

m: Nonms FETEB$ cu, womuwa. WASHINGTON, nv q UNITED STATES Trice.

TENT

CHARLES E. CATHER AND LOUIS H. BUOKLEY, OF WVOROESTER, MASSA- CHUSETTS.

ENVELOP.

SIRECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 705,036, dated July 22, 1902.

Application filed June 311901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES E. OATHER and LOUIS H. BUOKLEY, citizens of the United States, residing at W'orcester, in the county of lVorcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Envelops, of which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings forming a part of the same, in which- Figure 1 represents an envelop embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the metallic fastener by which the closing or seal-iiap is attached to the body of the envelop. Fig. 3 shows the relation of the sealfiap to the bendable tongues of the fastener when the metallic eyelet is used. Fig. at shows the relation of the seal-fiap to the bendable tongues of the fastener when the metallic eyelet is omitted, and Fig. 5 shows our improved fastener with the seal-flap closed.

Similar reference-letters refer to similar parts in the different views.

Our invention relates to that class of envelops known as merchandise-envelope, having a metallic fastener attached to the body of the envelop and comprising a pair of bendable tongues adapted to pass through an opening in the seal-flap and be bent down upon the outside thereof in order to hold the,

seal-flap against the body and close the envelop; and our invention consists in the novel features of construction of the metallic fastener and in the application of a flexible stay-strip to the seal-flap surrounding the opening in the seal-flap and extending to the tip of the seal-flap, forming a tab by which the seal-flap is lifted.

The metallic fastener attached to the body A of the envelop consists of a head comprising the two cross-bars A A connected together at their central portions by a neck B, from the center of which and integral therewith are the bendable tongues G O, normally projecting in a straight line from the opposite sides of the neck B, as represented by the broken lines C 0 Fig; 2, but capable of being bent so as to bring the tips 0" near each other and in position to pass through an opening D in the seal-flap E of the envelop. Each end of the cross-bars A A is provided Serial No. 62,880. (No model) with spurs F, Fig. 2, adapted to pass through the body of the envelop and be bent over or clenched upon the inside of the envelop, whereby the metallic fastener is attached to the body of the envelop, as shown in Fig. 2.

The neck B is considerably longer than the width of the bendable tongues O C, so as to leave spaces G between the crossbar-s A A and the bendable tongues. As the bendable tongues O O are bent from the position shown by broken lines in Fig. 2 to the position shown by full lines, with the tips 0 C in proximity to each other, as shown in Fig. 2, the lower portions of the tongues will be curved, as at 0 with the space between the curved portions 0 considerably larger than the width of the neck B.

We form an opening D in the sealflap in proper position to receive the bendable tongues as the seal-flap is folded over against the body of the envelop,said openingD having a diameter slightlyin excess of the width of the neck B, so that as the seal-flap is pressed. over the bendable tongues and against the body of the envelop the seal-flap will compress the two bendable tongues together as it passes over the curved portion 0 and when the sealflap reaches the body of the envelop, with the opening D just above the neck B of the fastener, the elasticity of the bendable tongues will cause them to spring apart and hold the seal-flap in contact with the envelop while the tongues are being bent down over the sealflap, as shown in Fig. 5. Instead of inclosing the opening D with a metallic eyelet, as is commonly done in envelope of this class in order to protect the paperfrom being torn, we reinforce the opening by a strip of canvas or similar woven material II, which is pasted upon the under side'of the seal-flap surrounding the opening D and extending substantially to the tip E of the seal-flap, thereby covering the space between the opening D and the tip E, so that when the tip of the sealliap is seized by the thumb and fingerin order to raise the seaMiap off the fastener in opening the envelop the strain will be applied to the reinforcing strip H, thereby preventing the seal-flap from being torn.

By employing a woven material for the re inforcing-strip H the edge of the opening D is left flexible and is capable of adapting itself to the shape of the tongues as it is drawn over them in the operation of closing the envelop, the opening D becoming elongated in a direction transversely to the neck B and contracted in the opposite direction, forming an oblong opening I, as shown in Figs. 4: and 5. When a circular metallic eyelet J is employed to protect the edge of the opening D, the opening requires to be of much greater diameter and leaves an unsightly opening around the bendable tongues O C, whereas in our improved envelop the opening D in the operation of closing the envelop is shaped to and caused to hug closely around the base of the tongues G O. The seal-flap is thereby held in proximity to the body of the envelop, while the bendable tongues O O are bent down into the position shown in Fig. 5.

lrVhen a metallic eyelet is used, the sealtlap has to be held down with one hand While the tongues are bent over with the other.

In opening the envelop the tips C of the tongues are slightly raised and the seal-flap E is pulled off by the tip E, the reinforcement H serving as a tab to receive the strain and protect the seal-flap.

WVhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A metallic fastener consisting of a sheetmetal plate provided at its corners with attaching-spurs adapted to pass through the body of the envelop and be bent over or clenched upon the inside of the envelop and a pair of bendable tongues integral with said plate and projecting therefrom upon opposite sides of said plate.

2. The combination with the body of an envelop, of a fastening device consisting of a plate provided with spurs for the attachment of the plate to the body of the envelop, and a pair of bendable tongues projecting from the opposite sides of said plate, and between said spurs, said plate being slit on opposite sides of said tongues on line parallel with said tongues, whereby the length of said tongues is increased.

3. In a merchandise-envelop, the fastening device consisting of a plate provided with at taching-spurs F, F and a pair of bendable tongues O, C said plate being slit on opposite sides of said tongues, on lines parallel with said tongues whereby said tongues are bendable on lines near the center of said plate and said attaching-spurs are bendable on lines farther from the center of said plate, substantially as described.

4. A metallic fastener consisting of a sheetmetal plate provided at its corners with attaching-spurs adapted to pass through the body of the envelop and be bent over or clenched upon the inside of the envelop and a pair of bendable tongues integral with said plate and projecting therefrom upon opposite sides of said plate, each of said tongues being placed midway between the attaching-spurs upon the same side of the plate.

5. A metallic fastener consisting of a sheetmetal plate provided with bendable tongues projecting in opposite directions from the sides of said plate and attaching-spurs formed on the ends of arms extending laterally from the sides of said plate, whereby the resistance offered by said attaching-spurs to the strain incident to the bending of said tongues is increased, substantially as described.

6. A metallic fastener composed of sheet metal, and comprising two cross-bars A, A connected together at their central portions by a neck 13, from the center of which and integral therewith are the bendable tongues O, O, of much less width than the length of the neck and capable of being bent so as to bring the tips 0 near each other and in position to pass through the opening in the flap to be fastened, each cross-bar having a spur F at its outer ends adapted to pass through the body of the envelop and be bent over or clenched upon the inside of the envelop, whereby the envelop-fastener is securely attached to the body of the envelop.

Dated this 31st day of May, 1901.

CHARLES E. OATHER. LOUIS II. BUCKLEY.

Vitnesses:

Bonus 13. FOWLER, FLORENCE O. COOK. 

